boy's name
Nehemiah
nee-uh-MY-uh (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 23,337
the United States
#429
2025 births
Nehemiah is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord comforts". It belongs to the governor who rebuilt Jerusalem's walls after the exile, and his book is one of the few in the Bible written largely in the first person.
- Nehemiah is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2010, when 969 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,317 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1886.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Nehemiah Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 7 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 95 |
| 1920s | 182 |
| 1930s | 128 |
| 1940s | 103 |
| 1950s | 146 |
| 1960s | 132 |
| 1970s | 235 |
| 1980s | 705 |
| 1990s | 1,158 |
| 2000s | 5,718 |
| 2010s | 9,192 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,638 |
What Nehemiah Means
Nehemiah means Yahweh comforts, joining a verb of consolation to a short form of the divine name. The comfort is specific in context: it is what a people returning from exile to a ruined city needed.
Where Nehemiah Comes From
Nehemiah renders the Hebrew Nehemyah, from nacham, to comfort or console, and yah, the divine name. He was cupbearer to Artaxerxes I of Persia and secured permission to return to Jerusalem, where he organized the rebuilding of the city walls in fifty-two days against local opposition — his account of it is unusually direct and personal for a biblical book. The name entered English use with the Puritans, who favored the historical Hebrew names, and traveled to America with them. It appears in birth records from 1886.
Nehemiah in Use
Nehemiah charts in only three markets and peaked in 2010.
How Popular Is Nehemiah?
In 2025, Nehemiah was given to 768 babies in the United States, ranking #429 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Nehemiah Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Nehemiah Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Néhémiah | Néhémiah is a rare spelling of Nehemiah, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Nehemiah
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Nehemiah Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nehemiah over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Nehemiah
- English nee-uh-MY-uh /niːəˈmaɪə/
2 nicknames for Nehemiah
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Nehemiah in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Nehemias Nechemiah
Sibling Names for Nehemiah
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Nehemiah — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Nehemiah
What does the name Nehemiah mean?
The Lord comforts, from the Hebrew nacham, to console, and yah, the divine name.
Who was Nehemiah in the Bible?
Cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, who returned to Jerusalem and organized the rebuilding of its walls after the exile.
How do you pronounce Nehemiah?
nee-uh-MY-uh, four syllables.
How popular is the name Nehemiah?
In 2025, Nehemiah was given to 768 babies in the United States, ranking #429 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Nehemiah a girl's or a boy's name?
Nehemiah is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nehemiah?
Nehemiah has 4 syllables.
When was Nehemiah most popular?
Nehemiah peaked in 2010, when 969 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Nehemiah?
Nehemiah is usually shortened to Miah and Nemo.
Is Nehemiah a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nehemiah currently ranks #429 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.